Survey: Mass. Health Law Increased Coverage, But Struggles On Cost

The journal Health Affairs has a new study analyzing the effects of the 2006 Massachusetts health insurance law.

Boston Globe: Mass. Health Insurance Law: More Coverage, More Expensive
The state's landmark health insurance law, passed in 2006, significantly increased the number of residents ages 19 to 64 with coverage — now at 94.2 percent. A survey released today found that it also is starting to produce results by keeping patients healthier and out of emergency rooms and hospitals. Unfortunately, as many probably suspect, it has done little to control costs (Kowalczyk, 1/25).

National Journal: Massachusetts Health Experience: What The Nation Can Expect?
Mitt Romney may not like to hear it, but if you want to know what health reform will look like for the United States, look to what's happening in Massachusetts, a team of experts said on Wednesday. .. "Despite the 2010 gains in access relative to 2006, 22.8 percent of nonelderly adults in Massachusetts reported that they did not get needed care in 2010," Long’s team wrote. "It is likely that the economic downturn and the continuing increase in health care costs, in particular, dampened any gains in coverage and affordability that might otherwise have been achieved under health reform in the state" (Fox, 1/25).

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